The WASL continues to tick
Looking over the school calendar, I noticed that it's almost WASL time again, that glorious time of year when parents start getting stern letters and robo-calls about how important it is and remember to give your kid breakfast (thanks for insulting me, school district robot.) If we get any more authoritarian in this society, next thing you know I'll have to sign dinner slips detailing what I served the night before. A sure ticket to a "C" for my kids, based on my cooking.
David Postman has a post about unhappiness with the Legislature over the WASL, and it's something worth thinking about.
While I'm certain that's not anyone's intent, the Seattle union members do have a point.
WASL is a big problem. It's expensive, there are legitimate worries about "teaching to the test," and there is a danger that some students will be treated unfairly and denied a diploma. Plus you're stressing kids out to justify political posturing, which is fairly asinine.
Teachers have a difficult job as it is, and while it's conservative mantra to blame everything on the WEA, that's a facile approach. If we're going to have standardized testing, then it should be for the purposes of helping the kids, not punishing students, schools or districts. Frankly, WASL has become a monster, and I wouldn't be sad to see it go. That's not going to happen any time soon, but in the meantime WASL continues to be the biggest ticking time bomb in state politics. You don't mess with people's kids and not pay a price.
David Postman has a post about unhappiness with the Legislature over the WASL, and it's something worth thinking about.
The Seattle teacher's union says its members have "considerable anger" about the proposed state budget and plans to delay implementing standardized math — but not writing — tests as high school graduation requirements. A letter from union leaders to Seattle lawmakers sent April 6 says the city's lawmakers need to live up to their liberal reputation.At issue, as Postman covers, is the sense that by delaying math requirements for graduation but not reading requirements, the Legislature would be acting in a racist fashion.
While I'm certain that's not anyone's intent, the Seattle union members do have a point.
WASL is a big problem. It's expensive, there are legitimate worries about "teaching to the test," and there is a danger that some students will be treated unfairly and denied a diploma. Plus you're stressing kids out to justify political posturing, which is fairly asinine.
Teachers have a difficult job as it is, and while it's conservative mantra to blame everything on the WEA, that's a facile approach. If we're going to have standardized testing, then it should be for the purposes of helping the kids, not punishing students, schools or districts. Frankly, WASL has become a monster, and I wouldn't be sad to see it go. That's not going to happen any time soon, but in the meantime WASL continues to be the biggest ticking time bomb in state politics. You don't mess with people's kids and not pay a price.